Transcript for:
Exploring Kinship, Marriage, and Gender

Chapter 10: Kinship-social organization of principles (groups of people are socially organized) (same cohort, police)

  • Kinship-culturally defined relationships between individuals who are commonly thought of as having family ties. Although usually thought of in terms of biology, much of kinship is actually culturally constructed. Relations:
  • Consanguineal relatives (blood) -people on both sides of family related to you by blood.
  • Affinal relatives (marriage)-people who are related to you through marriage.
  • Fictive kinship-patterned on kin-like relations but not actually based upon blood or marriage • Godparents/coparents (Latin America based), uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, Adoption Functions: -Generational continuity orderly transmissions, Rights to property, Who can be counted on Functions- • Membership in lineages, clans, & phratries is inherited & usually continues throughout life • As result, unilineal descent groups often function successfully as long-term joint property owners & economic production teams. • In many societies, unilineal descent groups assume important corporate functions such as land ownership, political representation & mutual aid & support. Descent-a group based on belief in shared ancestry Unilineal descent groups-traced through parents & ancestors of only 1 sex (either mother's or father's side) relationships by tracing descent exclusively through the male-patrilineal or female- matrilineal-line are called unilineal groups, either patrilineages or matrilineages according to the prevailing descent rule. Descent groups = Lineages • When unilineal descent principle is applied people become members of multigenerational groups of close relatives called lineages. • May be matrilineages or they may be patrilineages depending on whether links are traced through women or men. • Members of a lineage can trace links back to common ancestors in the family. In bilateral descent, which is common in the United States, children recognize both their mother's and father's family members as relatives. Ego-the position from which one views an egocentric genealogy. Neo locality-the living situation in which a couple establishes new residence. Expanded family household-a household that includes a group of relatives other than, or in addition to, a married couple and their children. Extended family household- a household with three or more generations. Ex-Nayar tarawad Kin terms & Genealogical Kin types: • Kin terms are the specific words used for different relatives in a particular culture and language • Kin terms are cultural rather than biological categories • Genealogical Kin types refers to biology to an actual genealogical relationship. Kinship diagrams-to help visualize descent groups and kinship. Patrilineage- group of descendants traced through the paternal line, meaning children inherit lineage membership from their father Matrilineage- a line of descent traced through the maternal side of the family, meaning kinship is determined by tracing relatives through the mother's line rather than the father's Lineages, clans & residence rules: •Members of descent groups have access to lineage resources, especially land. • Descent principles have parallel rules of post-marital residence • Patrilocality-married couples & children live in husband's community • Usually found with patrilineal descent • Matrilocality- married couples & children live in wife's community • Usually found with matrilineal descent Point of reference in kin chart-ego Carpenter vs US Harris Smith Adams-all believed to be related in the deep past = "fictional" ancestor OWL CLAN Amoa Amar Buigas-GATORS on BEARS Principles for classifying Kin Generation, Relative, Age, Sex Clans & phratries • Societies with lineages often define larger, more inclusive kin groups called clans-groups of people who claim descent from a common ancestor but cannot specify all actual links • Ancestor is often genealogically so remote that he/she is thought of as a mythical being. • Such distant, non-human ancestors become identifying symbols of the clan, or tptems. • Some unilineal societies group clans into even larger-scale unilineal descent groups called phratries. • Just as with clans, actual genealogical links are not clear-phratry ancestors are usually mythical Consanguineal (same blood) vs affinal Chapter 11: Marriage, Family, & Domestic Groups Marriage functions
  • responsible for childcare -economic exchange -cultural (knowledge) exchange In some societies primary tie is marriages (Hutwi) In other societies primary tie is the kinship group Kerala-caste group-warrior caste-Nayar-matrilinal kinship In social organization, society unit consists of brother, sister & sister's kids Marriage rules (nearly universal) Incest taboo-in ancient Egypt, sibling marriage apparently was allowed Despite the biological effects of inbreeding, marriage preferences and prohibitions are based on cultural beliefs rather than universal concern about future biological anomalies. For both royalty and commoners, in some districts at least. Why/theories
  1. Concer/negative -Recessive, Characteristics
  2. Infamiliarity-Breeds a violence
  3. Prevents family disruption on avoiding conflict
  4. Leads to "external" alliance Rules of exogamy-marry outside a group (family, lineage, clan/village) Endogamy-marriage within a group Levirate-man marries brother's wife if his brother dies Sororate-woman marries her sister's husband, if her sister dies Marriage- an alliance between families Marriage forms: Monogany=lhu+1 wi Serial monogany= 1hu+ 1wi; then hu+New wife, then hu+newer wife Polygamy->1 Spouse • Polygyny-Man>| wi (the common variant) • Polyandry-Woman>Hu (rare)- In South Asia-Tibet, Nepal, India, and Scilanka Maternal polyandry-Woman marries a set of brothers Plural marriages or Polygamy> 1 spouse Polygyny-Hut>1 wi-More resource-population growth (increase) Polyandry-Wi+> 1 Hu- Low resource base-population growth (decline) Male's solidarity in that particular village is high Femal's solidarity is high. Dowry- substantial gifts to the husband's family from the wife's group Goods Flow, Wi's family to hu, Bridewealth/Brideprice, Hu's family to Wi's family Chapter 12: Gender Sex-Biological Category/Male-Female Gender-Cultural conception of it means to male or female in a platform sexual dimorphism- refers the differences in male and female biology besides the contrasts in breasts and genitals shape l/size etc. Sex difterences-the physical and biological differences between males and females Gender-cultural dimension of being m/f Gender differences-social expectations about how males and females out to act and their respective rights and duties Mead-sex and temperament in three primitive societies. Biological differences • Males are: 10% taller, 20% heavier, 35% stronger in the upper body, May have been influenced by social decisions of our evolutionary past • Women tend to live longer, hit puberty earlier Gender • An inner feeling that you are male, female, both, or somewhere in between, Process of social presentation, Gender roles, Behavioral expectations and norms, Individual adopts the behaviors of the gender they wish to portray, Can change, Self-fulfilling prophecy Work and Occupations • Split labor market, Primary and secondary labor market, "Motherhood wage penalty", Comparable worth, Work of equal value, requiring the same level of skills, should earn equal pay, even when the work is not identical Sexism • Belief that one sex is superior to another • Belief that men and women are different and that should be reflected in society • Hatred of men (misandry) or women (misogyny) •"performative" elements like heavy cultural dress and ornaments Australian aboriginal male group for culture Trobiand Island, Samoa, New Guinea Sex is the biological element. You can actually see a great variation of maleness and femaleness in terms of body characteristics Gender Cisgender-Individuals who identify with the gender assigned to them in birth Transgender-A gender identity that is socially constructed and individually performed by individuals whose gender identity assigned to them in infancy. Intersex-Pertaining to a group of biological conditions reflecting a discrepancy between external and internal genitals.